Sparkling Eyes
by OoJuliaoO
Summary: After an incident during the summer ball Severus Snape finally learns the reason for the unusual behaviour of his partner and lover, Harry Potter. Snarry. Established relationship. Ignores DH. Slight mention of sexual harassment


**Disclaimer:** The story and characters of J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" do not belong to me. I do not earn money with this.

 **Summary:** After an incident during the summer ball Severus Snape finally learns the reason for the unusual behaviour of his partner and lover, Harry Potter. Snarry. Established relationship. Ignores DH. Slight mention of sexual harassment

ooo

It was deadly silent in the great hall. No one dared to whisper, the music had stopped, and no rustling of robes was to be heard, not even a breath. Pieces and bits of glass lay shattered on the ground. A figure sat on the floor, he was trembling.

Professors, who were scattered all through the hall as chaperons headed towards him. The stern looking transfiguration teacher reached him first, waving her wand making the pieces flew together, rebuilding the statue.

"Mr. Potter", she snapped at the huddled figure, but she got no response. As she noticed the trembling her face softened.

"Mr. Potter, this is no reason to be so distressed." A snort from behind here informed her of the arrival of her colleague, professor and potions master Severus Snape.

"I don't think that this… little accident… is the reason for Mr. Potter's, as you put it, distress," he snarled. McGonagall had a sarcastic retort on the tip of her tongue, but she stopped short as she saw the look on his face. He obviously knew something she did not. Gracefully he kneeled down in front of the boy.

"Mr. Potter", no response.

"Harry?", the boy flinched and a soft `no' escaped his lips. The black clothed man put a finger under his chin, gently forcing him to look up.

"Harry, you need to get up and then we will go to the infirmary, you are hurt." With mechanical moves the boy did as he was told and was guided outside the hall, a warm and calming hand on his shoulder.

As soon as the door closed behind them the students and staff started whispering about what just happened. On the other side of the door Harry started trembling even more and slid down the wall, arms circling around his knees. Snape let out a soft sigh. In the blink of a second he had gathered the boy in his arms and carried him to the dungeons and into his personal quarters.

Softly he placed Harry onto the comfortable black leather couch and summoned some ointment to treat the cuts on his cheek. He scoped some if it onto his long fingers and rubbed it in. All through the process there was no reaction from him. After he had finished Severus put the vial away and kneeled in front of Harry, cupping his cheek.

"Harry, snap out of it," he mutters quietly. "You're with me, Love, you're safe." Starling green eyes met black ones and not a second later he had flung himself at his partner and buried his head against his chest, sobbing quietly.

"Shush, it's ok. He's not here, everything is alright, Precious." Long fingers cradled through black and messy hair. He slowly rocked them back and forth, whispering words of comfort. Slowly the sobbing abated and he brought some distance between them.

"Harry? Why didn't you tell me that Millington was harassing you?" The boy turned his head away.

"He didn't. He-", but Severus interrupted him.

"Don't you dare lie to me about this!", he growled. "I saw him. I saw how he cornered you; I saw how he touched you so you backed away and knocked over the statue. Why didn't you tell anyone? We could have helped you. Did he… Did he touch you before?"

Tears welled in those beautiful emerald eyes as he looked at his lover.

"He said that he would hurt you if I told anyone. He said he had found out about us and would tell everyone so they would charge you for it and he would hurt my friends and… and I couldn't let him do that. I don't want you to get hurt; I don't want my friends to get hurt again just because they are my friends. I couldn't tell anyone, I was too scared," he nearly whispered. He started to tremble again and a few tears rolled down his face. A potion strained hand gently wiped them away and then enclosed Harry's hands with his own.

"You know that I can protect myself, Love. He wouldn't have been a threat to me."

"And what about my friends? What if he would have taken them by surprise or if he would have taken you by surprise? Or if he had used some potion? And then you would have been hurt because of me, and then you would turn away from me, because it was my fault and then I would be all alone and-"

"Harry. Believe me when I say that he wouldn't have been a threat to me. And I could have protected your friends too. As soon as Dumbledore had known, Millington would have been expelled, he wouldn't even have had a chance to hurt anyone. Neither me nor your friends would turn away from you because of something like that."

"And I was scared that you didn't want me anymore after he touched me," he whispered. Severus felt his magic and his anger flare. So that bastard had touched him. He took a deep breath to calm himself; it wouldn't do to lose his temper just now.

"You silly boy, that he touched you does not change that I love and want you. How could you think that? I will always want you. The only thing I do not want is to see Millington ever again, for I am not responsible for my actions if I do."

"You sure?"

"Yes, I am. I love you, brat. You're mine and I won't let you go nor will I willingly leave you. You brought happiness, warmth and love in my life when I thought I was bitter and not able to love anyone. You opened my heart and my eyes and I will not leave you!"

He looked at his lovers face and the desperation and fear in his eyes. It hurt him to see his beloved like this; and right then he vowed that he would do everything to make his eyes sparkle again.


End file.
